Monthly Archives: January 2017

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A total of 12 groups haves ubmitted official applications for the next round of MLS expansion

After reviewing expansion applications and meeting with each ownership group, Major League Soccer will announce the four expansion teams in groups of two based on the following timeline:

**Two new expansion teams before the end of 2017. Teams 25 and 26 will begin play in MLS by the 2020 season.

**Two additional expansion teams will be announced at a later date. The timeline for selecting clubs 27 and 28 will be decided later this year.

Here are the 12 cities applying for expansion:

Charlotte

Cincinnati

Detroit

Indianapolis

Nashville

Phoenix

Raleigh/Durham

Sacramento

St. Louis

San Antonio

San Diego

Tampa/St. Petersburg

From MLS: With the addition of Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC, MLS will have 22 clubs playing during the 2017 season. In addition, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will join the League in 2018. Also, MLS is making progress with plans for an expansion team in Miami, which would bring MLS to 24 clubs. In December of 2015, MLS announced plans to grow to 28 teams.

I’m not sure the Galaxy have ever introduced a designated player with less fanfare, but the signing of French midfielder Romain Alessandrini was announced today with no press conference or media availability, which might have some relation to how many butts in seats a journeyman French midfielder who spent half his career in the lower leagues can realistically be expected to attract.

Looks like LA & MLS had to up the offer a bit to get it over the line. I'm told transfer fee is $1.75 million w/salary of $2 million. https://t.co/qbLsKYEjvf

Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes and goalkeeper Brian Rowe were among the six players released back to their clubs from the U.S. Men’s National Team camp.

Zardes, who had missed the previous two days of training, has a “minor” right knee contusion and will not play in Sunday’s friendly against Serbia in San Diego or Jamaica, Feb. 3.

Taylor Kemp (D.C. United), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia), Will Trapp (Columbus) and Chris Wondolowski (San Jose) were the other players sent back to their clubs, leaving the U.S. roster at 23.

“I have been extremely pleased with the effort and progress we have seen throughout the January Camp,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. “The entire pool of players has performed well and has made our roster decisions very difficult. We are excited to take the next step and look forward to the game against Serbia in San Diego.”

Los Angeles Football Club announced the hiring of Will Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Soccer Operations.

Kuntz will report to General Manager and Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations John Thorrington .

Kuntz was the Director of Players Relations for Major League Soccer and before that he worked 10 years in the New York Yankees organization.

“I’m excited to work with John and the entire LAFC team to build a team that will represent our city, our league and our sport,” Kuntz said. “We are already working hard to be able to field a team that will excite our fans and bring another champion to the city of Los Angeles.”

In his new role, Kuntz will work closely with the team’s executives to bring exciting and promising coaches and players to LAFC that will bring quality to the pitch and represent the community and the club’s growing fan base.

LAFC will join Major League Soccer for the 2018 season and play at the Banc of California Stadium.

The club recently partnered with The Orange County Soccer Club in USL to expand player development.

Last month, the demolition of the Sports Arena was completed and the construction of LAFC’s new Banc of California Stadium began. The stadium is a 22,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium which will bring more than $350 million in private investment to South Los Angeles.

He wasn’t the Galaxy starting in goal entering the 2016 MLS season, but took advantage of an opportunity and finished up appearing in 31 of 34 games. He recorded nine clean sheets and made 113 saves.

“It was my first long stretch of games played, but knowing what it takes to be a starter throughout the year and how to prepare yourself week in and week out to be healthy,” Rowe said. “I felt like I met a lot of goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year and I know there is still a lot of work to be done.”

His performance eventually translated into receiving a call into his first national team camp.

Rowe is one of four keepers in camp with the U.S as they prepare for Sunday’s friendly against Serbia. He is joined by David Bingham (San Jose), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) and Luis Robles (New York).

“It is a great honor to get called in and to be one the goalies that gets to represent his country in this camp,” Rowe said from national team training recently. “Once camp had started, I was getting ready for the Galaxy season, I was kind of planning my workouts. Then Matt Reis called me to tell me that (Seattle goalkeeper Stefan) Frei had been injured and they were bringing me in.

“First day was a little rusty, jumping right in, but I’ve been slowly getting the wheels going and I feel more comfortable and just have fun with it.”

Bruce Arena, who coached Rowe with the Galaxy knows that the future is certainly bright for Rowe.

“This will be a good experience for Brian,” Arena said. “We had some choices, but we know the player and I think he could come in right away and contribute in training. We’ll see how he progresses in the goalkeeping competition.

“With any inexperienced goalkeeper, the more games you get the better. Two hundred games from now, he’s going to be a heck of a lot better than he is now. Goalies need games. He got better as the season went on.”

The Orange County Soccer Club, formerly known as the Orange County Blues FC,

Orange County Soccer Club

announced three signings last week.

OCSC signed a 24-year-old winger Jerry Van Ewjik, who spent the last three seasons playing for De Graafschap and Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie. He scored 24 goals with nine assists.

Also returning is veteran midfielder Richard Chaplow. Chaplows joined the Blues in the second half of last year.

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